Pandora, you know that curiosity killed the cat. Be careful, girl.
Yesterday EcoWatch published Pandora's Atomic Box Score as follow up to the airing of the 'documentary' by CNN the other night. One of the questions that emerged from the other night was who financed the production of this film? EcoWatch reports that two major backers were Paul Allen and Bill Gates both emergents from the Microsoft campus.
it seems Bill Gates is a big believer in the new generation reactors. Here in Missouri they are call SMR - Small Modular Reactors and very much seem to have the support of local politicians as being something that is good for Missouri's economy.
I like it when they can use 'small' and 'modular' for the new generation of nuclear reactors, it makes everything seem so much more acceptable and sees less dangerous. They even go as far to describe them as a "plug and play" operation
Ameren and Westinghouse teamed up in 2012 to produce these new age Cabbage Patch Kids but didn't finish in first place and lost out to the Tennessee project from Babcock & Wilcox. Ameren announced that they will try again.
In the meantime in a separate offering from the Department of Commerce this time and not the Department of Energy, Missouri came out a winner - with this October 2013 announcement:
"Universities in Missouri will help develop the supply chain for Westinghouse's small modular reactor with help from a $1.84 million grant from the Department of Commerce.
Announced Tuesday, the award is part of the $20.5 million Make it in America Challenge. According to the DOC, "This project will help Missouri manufacturers become part of a supply chain for SMR production. The project will advance a comprehensive training strategy to develop a high-skill, high-quality workforce for manufacturers in the nuclear power industry while assessing the education, training and certification needed to support the SMR effort."
In July, the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, the University of Missouri, Ameren and Westinghouse formed a consortium to conduct research supporting the Westinghouse SMR's development and to train future nuclear engineers. Ameren, which operates Missouri's Callaway nuclear plant, is working with Westinghouse as it applies for funding from the Department of Energy to support the licensing of SMR technology." ~ Nuclear Power Industry News
Announced Tuesday, the award is part of the $20.5 million Make it in America Challenge. According to the DOC, "This project will help Missouri manufacturers become part of a supply chain for SMR production. The project will advance a comprehensive training strategy to develop a high-skill, high-quality workforce for manufacturers in the nuclear power industry while assessing the education, training and certification needed to support the SMR effort."
In July, the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, the University of Missouri, Ameren and Westinghouse formed a consortium to conduct research supporting the Westinghouse SMR's development and to train future nuclear engineers. Ameren, which operates Missouri's Callaway nuclear plant, is working with Westinghouse as it applies for funding from the Department of Energy to support the licensing of SMR technology." ~ Nuclear Power Industry News
Both Gov. Jay Nixon and U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill are strong supporters of the SMR project and in the past have cited it was beneficial to Missouri's economy.
Read the Atomic Box Score - I know it get confusing especially with all this switching going on between Department of Commerce and Department of Energy, property the next place these little SMR's will show up will be under the Department of Education.
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